Found a old cabin with tons of trash, what now?

[BADBAJA]

I believe this cabin was around in the late 1800s. The bottom sides have all been re cemented around the base( no foundation). It is in a area that would be hard to get all the bigger metal out. It looks like kids have partied there and other people have dumped metal trash there. There is even stacks of mason jars inside NOT from the 1800s lol. The cabin is roughly 10x7 with a lot of metal trash with a lot scattered around the yard. Found a piece of corrugated roofing 8x2 buried( I checked under it of coarse)5 inches deep. Still couldn't get it all it was so covered by roots. There is a creek about 30 yards away and a few big trees I already check but no good TIDs. Its hard to even set up the detector when there is so much scattered around.

So I was just wondering what approach would be best or if I should even mess with it. Trust me I don't mind taking out some trash here and there ( I always carry my 5 gal bucket)but damn there is a lot. WhT would be your guys or girls approach to something like this? Also should I crank down the sensitivity at first and slowly raise it?
Would a grid system be best? Should I start IN the cabin or outside it first?

Just trying to get recommendations and suggestions from the pros. And as always
Thanks in advanced for any and all info.

 

[JimmyCT]

That was my dilemma at a carnival ground I am hunting. I solved it by taking off my 10" stock coil and using a 7 1/4 inch coil. Definitely hit the area from different angles and directions. In a nutshell, use a small coil, go slow, and have lots of patients. Check inside and out, start low with sensitivity and turn it up if conditions allow. Best of luck! - Jim

 

[BarberBill]

As mentioned, a smaller coil will help. Also, mark off small, easy to handle areas and hunt them from several angles digging the trash as you go. When the area is relatively clean, use your larger coil with a good bit of sensitivity to see if good, deeper targets exist under what was the trashy layer. You'll need to have a lot of persistence and patience, especially at first, but from the description it sounds like a site that might pay off with older coins and goodies. When your patience gives out, hunt an easier area next time so you don't get burnt out on the site, but don't give up on it until you have covered it well. My two bits.
BB

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

Here in Idaho, we have a great deal of Federal lands. I know of several dug outs, mostly in narrow canyons that miners lived in and all of them are trashed out. I can't say I've ever found any cabins that were not trashed. In those mid to late 1800's, they pretty much opened the door and tossed the cans and trash out not caring how deep any of it got or if they had to walk through it. Some places had piles of cans all the way down to the creeks. These are the old cans that had lead sealed seams.

I will tell you from what I know so far, these sites I know of being on Federal Lands, rusty old can or what ever else that looks like junk to us and if over 50 years old is now protected under the Antiquities Laws. There are no Federal Metal Detecting Laws but they will and have prosecuted detectorist under the Antiquities Act.

If on Federal and State Lands, I would be extremely careful about trying to do a good deed hauling off what you see as trash or anything else you find of value to you. There used to be a day when the Government and Archaeologist could have cared less about what we detectorist were looking for as long as it was not graves, battle sites, and Indian camps and such but now they see all of this stuff as theirs and have the weight of the Law to make it so. I've talked to the USFS here in my area and found the Metal detecting subject alone, you have not even said what you will be looking for yet, can raise some eye brows with them very fast. They are very dry serious about it, no humor at all.

Searching trashed out areas is no easy task but it all comes down to what your willing to invest in the search. Before you invest much time in this cabin, you may want to see some land records and such at the Court Houses, I wish you the best in your hunt, that it will reward you with some keepers.

 

[BADBAJA]

Thank you for all the input. I do not have a smaller coil. Only the stocker that comes with the xterra 705.

 

[BADBAJA]

705
Goldpack

 

[JimmyCT]

I am not saying you won't find anything with the stock as I am not familiar with the seperation abilities of the 5x10 DD coil. I do know that when I switched from the stock 10" coil on my sovereign GT to the tornado 8" coil (actual 7 1/4") I made some nice discoveries that I missed with my larger coil in an extremely trashy environment. Good luck to you as it sounds like a very interesting spot to check out. - Jim

705
Goldpack

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

Use a smaller coil near the cabin where it is trashy. It is hard to do because of the large area to be covered. I have old cabins all around me and they are not the most profitable places to MD. in my opinion. Iron relics are everywhere. Coin are few IF ANY. I know the rules, but it is futile l to try to carry out all the trash. (Have a pick up truck?)

Look for old path ways and where the privy was. If you are patient find the trash dump and have fun.